Entomology (Study of Bugs)/Insect identification

Hello. I am hoping that you can identify this insect I found in my home. I live in Manitoba, Canada. Thank you for your time.

AnswerDear Kristen - This is a nymph of an assassin bug (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Reduviidae); likely Reduvius personatus, a species known as the masked hunter. This is a peridomestic species often found indoors, and reputed to have an extremely painful bite. See http://tinyurl.com/mwq56m for more detailed information.

Expertise

Will accept most questions in general entomology, including those related to medical entomology, taxonomy, ecology, arthropod surveillance, and pest management.
If you are requesting a 'mystery bug' identification, PLEASE either attach an image to your question, or post an image on a web page (such as Flickr) so that I can look at it, as verbal descriptions frequently are insufficient for a definitive identification.

Experience

21 years in the U.S. Army as a medical entomologist; duties varied from surveillance of pest populations (including mosquitoes, cockroaches, ticks, and stored products pests) to conducting research on mosquito-virus ecological relationships and mosquito faunal studies. Ten years as a civilian analyst for the Department of Defense, primarily on distribution of vector-borne diseases worldwide. Limited experience on surveillance of agricultural insects in North Dakota and Indiana.

PublicationsAmerican Journal of Public Health, Contributions of the American Entomological Institute, Japanese Journal of Sanitary Zoology, Journal of Economic Entomology, Mosquito News, and Mosquito Systematics.

Education/CredentialsB.S. in entomology from North Dakota State University in 1963, M.S. in entomology from Purdue University in 1967.